Household drying machine

ABSTRACT

A household dryer, for example for drying salads, includes a basket mounted for rotation in a cover and a step-up gear drive connected to a handle for rotating the basket inside the cover. The basket is inside the cover and includes a sliding coupling part for connection to the gear drive.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,753,297

Mantelet 5] Aug. 21, 1973 [54] HOUSEHOLD DRYING MACHINE 3,264,016 8/1966 Reisch 287/53 R [751 mm Jan Mantel, Paris, 33123 21133? fffilii'f.I..i.............IIII'5'i6}3 ,Z [73] Assignee: Moulinex S.A., Bagnolet, France v [22] Filed: Dec. 23, 1971 Primary Examiner-John J. Camby Assistant Examiner-James C. Yeung [2!] Appl' zlllgz Attorney-Irvin S. Thompson et a1. [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 25, I971 France 7102298 [57] ABSTRACT [1.8- CI- R, R A hou ehold dryer for example for drying salads in- [5 CI. l d a b k t o nted for rotation in a cover and a [58] Fleld of Search 34/8, 58, 78; Step up gear drive connected to a handle f rotating 6 402; 287/53 R the basket inside the cover. The basket is inside the cover and includes a sliding coupling part for connec- [56] Ree'mces Cited tion to the gear drive.

UNITED STATES PATENTS V 3,200,737 8/1965 Ferenc 210/360 R 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,291

2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,297

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 HOUSEHOLD DRYINGMACI-IINE 1 BACKGROUND OF THE i The invention relates to small spin dryers which comprise a basket mounted so as to rotate about a vertical axis inside a cover haVing at the top a device for driving the basket.

It is an object of the invention to produce a spin dryer of this type which will be convenient for use by housewives, particularly for drying salads for example.

SUMMARY In a spin dryer according to the invention the basket takes the form of a hollow body formed from a base and a side wall and open freely in the upper part, the basket including a coupling part which allows the basket to be removed from the cover.

In a preferred embodiment the driving device comprises an output shaft consisting of a spindle disposed axially on the basket; the coupling part comprises two jaws which can move between an operative position in which they interlock the spindle with the bottom of the basket and an inoperative position in which they disconnect the said spindle from said base; these jaws, which are mounted on the base of the basket, are each fitted with an operating key which projects from the lower face of said base.

Due to this arrangement the housewife is able to remove the basket from the spin dryer very easily; to do this she lifts the cover with one hand, then with the other hand she presses the jaw operating keys; the basket then drops out of the cover by itself under its own weight. To replace the basket in the appliance it is only necessary to insert the basket under the cover, making the jaws engage with the spindle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a spin dryer in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the two jaws forming part of the coupling part of the spin dryer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section of these jaws, taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of one of the jaws;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of two blocks of elastic material which return the jaws to their active position;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the two blocks;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the spindle forming the output shaft of the driving device and with which the jaws engage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ENBODIMENT As shown in the drawings, the spin dryer comprises a perforated basket made of plastics material 10, mounted so as to rotate about a vertical axis inside a cover 12, also of plastics material, with a driving device for the basket 10 at the top.

This driving device 14. comprises a step-up gearing operated by a crank handle 16 and of which the output shaft consists of a spindle 18 disposed axially of the basket. The cover 12 is adapted to rest on a plane surface, such as the bottom of a sink, by rubber feet 20 on its loweredge. The cover is provided with a handle 22 at theside which is used to keepthe spin dryer in position whilev in operation. The basket 10 takes the form of a hollow body formed by a base 24and aside wall in the form of a truncated cone 26 and his freely open in its upper part.

The basket includes a coupling part which can slide over the spindle 1 8of the driving device. The coupling part comprises two jaws 28 and 30 mounted in the central area of the base 24. These jaws are capable of moving between an active position (FIG. 1), in which they interlock the spindle 18 with the base 24'of the basket, and an inactive position (shown by the broken line in FIG. 7) in which the spindle is disconnected from the base 24.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4, these jaws consist of two curved pieces rocking, one on the other, about a horizontal axle 32 and the upper portions of which, disposed on each side of the end of the spindle 18, each comprise a catch 34 and 34 respectively for engagement in a groove 36 in the spindle, while their lower portions form keys 38 and 40 for operating the jaws. These keys 38 and 40 project from the lower face of the base 24 in the middle of a dome 42 formed in the central zone of this base.

The jaws 28 and 30 are moved towards their active position, i.e., towards the position of engagement of the catches 34 in the groove 36, by restoring means consisting of two blocks 44 and 46 of elastic material, such as rubber (FIGS. 5 and 6) which grip round these jaws and which are supported at their periphery on the edges of a central opening 48 formed in the base 24 in which these blocks are mounted.

The coupling part connecting the base of the basket with the spindle 18 comprises, in addition to the jaws 28 and 30, an internally grooved sleeve 50 situated at the top of a vertical hollow column 52 rising from the base of the basket and the base of which surrounds the central opening 48 of the base 24. This column 52 receives the spindle l8 axially. This spindle carries a driver 54 which is splined externally and which comes into engagement with the grooved sleeve 50.

It will be understood that a spin dryer constructed in this way is practical for use by the housewife. Indeed, the removal of the basket 10 of the spin dryer in order to place in it the articles to be dried, for example salad leaves, may be carried out very easily; the housewife lifts the cover 12 by means of the handle 22 with one hand then, with two fingers of her other hand she pinches the keys 38 and 40 to release the catches 34 and 34 from the groove 36; the basket 10 then drops out of the cover 12 under its own weight, while the sleeve 50 slides downwards over the driver 54 and the spindle 18.

To replace the basket 10 once it is filled, it is only necessary to position it under the cover and thread the spindle l8 axially in the hollow column 52 until the catches 34 and 34' of the jaws automatically drop elastically into the groove 36. During this movement the sleeve comes into engagement with the driver 54 which willthen be able to set the basket 10 into rotation when the crank handle 16 is operated. During this rotation any axial displacement of the basket on the spindle will, of course, be prevented by the catches 34 and 34' in co-operation with the groove 36.

Naturally the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated, which is given by way of example only, butwhich may on the other hand, within the scope of the invention, form the subject of different variants, especially in connection with the driving device which may for example comprise an electric motor instead of a crank mechanism.

I claim:

1. A spin dryer, comprising a foraminous basket mounted for rotation about a vertical axis inside a cover and a device for driving the basket, said driving device being mounted on said cover and comprising an output shaft in the form of a vertical spindle disposed axially of the basket, said basket being in the form of a hollow annular body freely open in its upper part and comprising a side wall, a base, and a vertical hollow column rising from said base and receiving the spindle axially, and coupling means detachably connecting the spindle and the column and comprising two jaws which are mounted inside the base of the hollow column for movement between an active position in which they interlock the spindle with the column and an inactive position in which they disconnect said spindle from said column to allow the basket to be removed from the 4 cover, each jaw comprising an operating key projecting from the lower face of the base of the basket.

2. A spin dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jaws comprise two curved pieces rocking on one another about a horizontal axis, the upper portions of said pieces being disposed on each side of the spindle and each comprising a catch engaging in a groove on the spindle while the lower portions form said operating keys, said jaws being returned towards their active position by blocks of elastic material which are mounted inside the base of the hollow column and which grip around the jaws.

3. A spin dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling means additionally comprise an internally notched sleeve situated inside the top of the column, the spindle carrying an externally notched driver engaging with said sleeve.

* II i t l 

1. A spin dryer, comprising a foraminous basket mounted for rotation about a vertical axis inside a cover and a device for driving the basket, said driving device being mounted on said cover and comprising an output shaft in the form of a vertical spindle disposed axially of the basket, said basket being in the form of a hollow annular body freely open in its upper part and comprising a side wall, a base, and a vertical hollow column rising from said base and receiving the spindle axially, and coupling means detachably connecting the spindle and the column and comprising two jaws which are mounted inside the base of the hollow column for movement betWeen an active position in which they interlock the spindle with the column and an inactive position in which they disconnect said spindle from said column to allow the basket to be removed from the cover, each jaw comprising an operating key projecting from the lower face of the base of the basket.
 2. A spin dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jaws comprise two curved pieces rocking on one another about a horizontal axis, the upper portions of said pieces being disposed on each side of the spindle and each comprising a catch engaging in a groove on the spindle while the lower portions form said operating keys, said jaws being returned towards their active position by blocks of elastic material which are mounted inside the base of the hollow column and which grip around the jaws.
 3. A spin dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling means additionally comprise an internally notched sleeve situated inside the top of the column, the spindle carrying an externally notched driver engaging with said sleeve. 